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She talked at length to the donier about the son she had when she lived with the Clan, the one ofsickness that lasted all day and al delivery She had already forgotten whatever disco birth to Jonayla, but she still re birth to Durc She told her about his deforht to her sht she would still lose him She spoke of her joy at his acceptance, and the naend of Durc, where his nahter and her delight that he could e they started tohio Toward the end of her story, she was finding it difficult to talk for the tears

“Zelandoni,” Ayla said, looking at the large,in the sht about it since, the ins I don’t think it is the blending of spirits that starts new life I think life begins when a row inside women”

It was a startling idea co wo like it to Zelandoni before, but it wasn’t an entirely unfah the only person she kneho had ever thought of such a thing was herself

“I have thought about it for a long tiins when a man puts his member inside a woman, into the place that a baby comes from, and leaves his essence I think that is what starts a new life, not theof spirits,” Ayla said

“You mean when they share the Gift of Pleasure from the Great Earth Mother,” Zelandoni said

“Yes,” Ayla said

“Let me ask you some questions A man and a woman share Doni’s Gift many times There are not that many children born If a life was started every time they shared Pleasures, there would be many, many more children,” Zelandoni said

“I have thought of that It’s clear that a life doesn’t start every ti else besides Pleasures Maybe they must share Pleasures many times, or maybe at special times, or maybe the Great Mother decides when life will start and when it won’t But it isn’t their spirits that She blends, it’s the man’s essence, and maybe a special essence of the woht after Jondalar and I got down fro oke up and shared Pleasures”

“You say you thought about it for a long time What made you think of it in the first place?” Zelandoni asked

“I first thought about it when I was inwith Durc,” Ayla said

“They told me I had to take him outside and leave him because he was deformed,” tears threatened as Ayla said it, “but I looked at him carefully and he wasn’t deformed He didn’t look like them and he didn’t look likeand big in the back, and he had big browridges like theirs, but he had a high forehead likelike Echozar, except I think his body will be rows up He was never as thick or as stocky as Clan boys, and his legs were long and straight, not bowed like Echozar’s He was aand healthy”

“Echozar is mixed, but his mother was Clan When would she have shared Pleasures with a man like us? Why would a man like us want to share Pleasures with a flathead woman?” Zelandoni asked

“Echozar told me his mother had been cursed with death because her mate had been killed when he tried to protect her fronant, they let her stay, until Echozar was born,” Ayla said Jonayla had let go of the nipple and was fussing a bit Ayla put her over her shoulder and patted her back

“You s happen, but I can’t understand them,” Zelandoni said

“It happened to one of the wohter as mixed She said she was forced by some men of the Others, hter was killed when one of the rabbed her